Discovery
The Land Rover Discovery is an off road-focused mid-size luxury SUV, from the British car maker Land Rover. There have been four generations of the vehicle, the first of which was introduced in 1989. The current Discovery 4 is marketed in North America as the LR4. Discovery 1 (LR1) The Discovery was introduced into the United Kingdom in 1989. The company code-named the vehicle "Project Jay". The new model was based on the chassis and drivetrain of the more upmarket Range Rover, but with a lower price aimed at a larger market segment intended to compete with Japanese offerings. This was the only Discovery generation with a four-cylinder petrol engine. The Discovery was initially only available as a three-door version; the five-door bodystyle became available in 1990. Both were fitted with five seats, with the option to have two jump seats fitted in the boot. Land Rover employed an external consultancy, Conran Design Group, to design the interior. They were instructed to ignore current car interior design and position the vehicle as a 'lifestyle accessory'. Their interior incorporated a number of original features, although some ideas shown on the original interior mock-ups (constructed inside a Range Rover bodyshell at Conran's workshops) were left on the shelf, such as a custom sunglasses holder built into the centre of the steering wheel. The design was unveiled to critical acclaim, and won a British Design Award in 1989. The majority of the interior was constructed from 'Sonar Blue' plastic (with blue cloth trim), with map/magazine holding slots above the windscreen, hand-holds for rear passengers incorporated into the head restraints of the front seats, remote radio controls on the instrument cluster, twin removable sunroof panels (including a special zip-up storage bag behind the rear seats) and a Land Rover-branded cloth fabric holdall in the front centre console for oddments storage that could be removed from the vehicle and worn as a 'handbag' using a supplied shoulder strap (relatively few of these bags have survived, making them collectable items). Despite such features, the interior's basic structure was the same as the Range Rover and virtually all the switchgear and instruments came from other Rover Group cars such as the Maestro and Montego. Similarly, the Discovery utilized several Range Rover body panels, as well as headlights from the Freight Rover van and taillights from the Maestro van. The latter would continue to bear the Austin Rover 'chevron' logo on their lenses until production of the first generation Discovery ended in 1998, ten years after Austin Rover ceased to exist. The designers of the original model had been forced to economise and use the "parts bin" of the then parent-company, Rover. The 200 series used the basic bodyshell structure from the Range Rover, door handles from the Morris Marina, tail lights from the Austin Maestro van, and interior switchgear and instrumentation from Rover's surplus parts. In 1992, the Discovery received several additions and improvements. The interior was offered in a more traditional beige as well as the distinctive (but controversial) light blue, an automatic transmission was made available on 200Tdi models, new colours were added to the range (and the large 'compass and mountain' side decals worn by early Discoveries to disguise wavy panel fit around the rear three quarter windows were no longer fitted) and the 'SE' pack (incorporating alloy wheels, front driving lights, roof bars and a special range of metallic paints) was introduced as an option. A two-seater, three-door Discovery Commercial version, lacking rear side windows, was later offered by Land Rover Special Vehicles. Before 1994, the Discovery was available with either the 2.5 litre 200 Tdi engine or the 3.5 litre Rover V8. Early V8 engines used a twin SU carburettor system, switching to Lucas 14CUX fuel injection in 1990. A 2.0 litre petrol engine from the Rover stable was briefly available in a model known as the 2.0 L Mpi I4. This was intended to attract fleet managers, since UK (and Italian) tax laws benefited vehicles under two litres. A combination of changes in taxation and lack of power for such a heavy vehicle led to the demise of this engine, despite its fitment to several Discoveries supplied to the British Royal family-most notably driven by Prince Philip around Windsor Great Park, in his position as Park Ranger. The transmission was a permanent four wheel drive system, with a high and low range transfer box, locking centredifferential at the transfer box. Similarly to the rest of the Land Rover range, the handbrake acts on the transmission at the back of the transfer box, therefore locking all wheels when applied. In 1994, many changes were made to the Discovery. It reached some markets as the "Discovery 2"; the 200Tdi and 3.5 L V8 engines were replaced with the 2.5 L 300TDi 4-cylinder and 3.9-litre Rover V8 engines. The 300Tdi introduced a Bosch electronic emissions control for certain models and markets. At around this time a stronger R380 gearbox was fitted to all manual models. The newer models featured larger headlamps and a second set of rear lights in the bumper. The new rear lights had their wiring configuration changed several times to meet real or expected European safety legislation. Some vehicles were left with an arrangement where the vulnerable bumper contains the only working direction-indicator lights; other examples have these lights duplicated in the traditional rear pillar location. This version is being targeted by thieves who easily remove headlight clusters in two minutes, sometimes cutting the wiring loom. The 1994 model year marked the first year that the Discovery was sold in the United States. Airbags were incorporated into the design of the 1994 model to meet the requirements of US motor vehicle regulations, though they were not fitted as standard in all markets. All North American specification (NAS) models were fitted with the 3.9-litre V8 from the Range Rover SE models, and later models saw a change to the 4.0-litre version of the engine. Technically speaking, the 1996 to 1998 US models with 4.0-litre engines had the same displacement as the 3.9-litre engines fitted to the earlier 1994 to 1995 US models; the differences between the engines involved improvements to the block rigidity and pistons, and a change from the Lucas 14CUX engine management to the distributorless Generic Engine Management System ("GEMS"). In earlier 3.9-litre US engines the fuel injection computer (14CUX) did not control the ignition, which was instead controlled by a traditional system with an ignition coil and distributor made by Lucas. The GEMS system was developed jointly by Lucas and SAGEM; it controlled both spark timing and fuel injection. Unlike the earlier systems fitted to Rover V8 engines, GEMS was made OBD-II compliant. This change was largely driven by the federal requirement (starting in 1996) for vehicles sold in the United States to meet the OBD-II specification. In the Republic of Ireland, local tax laws meant that the first ever example of a Discovery Commercial (van) was launched there in 1991. A revised version was launched in 1993, shortly after the UK market example of late 1992. The Irish examples have formed the basis of the Discovery's success and high sales there, as commercials are on a much lower tax band. Discovery 2 (LR2) The Series 2 Discovery debuted in autumn 1998 and in the US in 1999. Land Rover promoted that the Discovery Series 2 had been modified with 720 'differences'. The interior and exterior was re-worked to be less utilitarian, but it was still similar to the Series 1. Every body panel was new except the rear door outer skin. The rear body was extended to improve load space but at the expense of added rear overhang, which adversely impacted off-road ability. Changes to the diesel engined models saw the 2,495 cc Td5 (in-line direct-injected straight-five engineintroduced, in line with the updated Defender models. This electronically-managed engine was smoother, producing more usable torque at lower revs than its 300Tdi predecessor. The Td5 engine is often mistakenly attributed to BMW; it was derived from the Rover L-series passenger car engine and further developed by Land Rover. The 3,948 cc V8 petrol version from the Discovery 1 was replaced with the Range Rover P38 Thor 4.0-litre Rover-derived V8. There was no actual increase in capacity over the previous 3.9-litre engine. Although the basic design of the engine was similar, it was actually quite different internally: It used a different crankshaft, had larger bearing journals with cross bolted caps, different con rods, and different pistons. The blocks were machined differently, in order to accept extra sensors for the Gems and Bosch (Thor) injection system and to allow the extra stroke of the 4.6 crankshaft. For the 2003 and 2004 model year Discovery II they changed to the 4.6-litre V8 (though the 4.0 continued as the only V8 option offered in the UK). ACE (Active Cornering Enhancement, an electronically controlled hydraulic anti-roll bar system) was fitted to some versions, which reduced cornering roll. Self-levelling air springs were fitted to some models and European type-approval for seven-seat vehicles was only given to air-sprung examples. The locking centre differential was still fitted until early 2001, although the linkage to operate it was not attached, as Land Rover believed that the traction controland newly developed Hill Descent Control would render it redundant. The actual locking mechanism was removed in early 2001, before being fully reinstated (with linkage) with the face-lifted 2004 model. Whilst the traction control system worked very effectively, it did not offer the same level of control and smooth operation as the vehicles fitted with the differential lock. Customer demand saw the diff lock controls fully reinstated as a cost option only (standard on top of range HSE/SE vehicles) on UK/Irish models, and aftermarket kits are offered by several vendors for those vehicles which were produced with the lock, but not the linkage. The U.S. version was available in three trim levels: S, SE and HSE, the SE and HSE having a 7 seat option, SE7 and HSE7. The "face-lift" models are easily identified by new "pocketed" headlamps (which matched the Range Rover and face-lifted Freelander models) as well as redesigned turn and brake lamps on the rear of the vehicle. The turn signals were moved from the bumper to the high side fixtures. The earlier Series II models could in turn be easily distinguished from the original Discovery by the position of those stop light fixtures above the window-line (earlier models had them below), and by the replacement of paddle door handles with the current sort. The Series II also differs slightly in dimensions. A small number of Discovery II Commercial models were produced by Land Rover Special Vehicles, this time based on the five-door bodyshell but with the windows rendered opaque to give van-like appearance and security. Normal vehicles were exported to Republic of Ireland, where the rear side windows were smashed and rear seats were destroyed in the presence of a Revenue official, to offer a model that avoided the Vehicle Registration Tax (saving approximately 40%). The Commercials came with rear self-levelling suspension as standard. In the final production run of the Discovery II, only two models were offered for sale in the UK market, the 'base' Pursuit, which still retained a high level of equipment as standard, and the top specification Landmark, which offered an all-leather interior, twin sunroofs, Active Cornering Enhancement, six-disc CD player, and a heated windscreen. The final vehicles left the production lines in late May 2004 to make way for the all new Discovery 3 (LR3) models. Discovery 3 (LR3) Discovery 4 (LR4) The Discovery 4 (called the LR4 in North America) is an updated version of the Discovery 3. Using the same Integrated Body Frame structure, the new Discovery has altered front and rear light units and a restyled front grille and bumper to adopt the same smoother, rounder style as also adapted for the 2010 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. The Discovery 4 also retains the body-coloured wheel arches and bumpers as the late Discovery 3s (early D3s had black plastic trim). Optional Daylight Running Lamps can be specified whilst LED lights feature prominently in both front and rear lamp units. The majority of the changes are mechanical. The D4 receives two engines fromJaguar Land Rover's 'Gen III' range. The TDV6 Gen III is a 3.0-litre development of the 2.7-litre engine used in the D3. The new version features advanced twin-sequential turbochargers where a Variable geometry turbocharger is used at low engine speeds, with a second standard turbo is brought online at higher engine speeds. This system provides greater output than the older engine, with 241 bhp (180 kW) and 600 N·m (440 lb·ft) whilst reducing CO2 emissions by 10%. The Gen III version of the V8 petrol engine (available in markets outside the UK such as North America, Russia, Australia, and some EU countries) is now a 5-litre unit with Direct Petrol Injectiondeveloping 385 bhp (287 kW) and 520 N·m (380 lb·ft). An improved version of the ZF six-speed automatic/sequential gearbox is now fitted. It includes taller gearing to take advantage of the new engines' greater torque output and an updated lock-up system to further reduce fuel consumption. Other technical changes include the fitting of the more powerful brakes from the Range Rover Sport and thicker anti-roll bars to improve on-road handling. The Stability Control System now includes a programme that detects the onset of understeer and applies the brakes. The Discovery 4 retains its predecessor's fully independent air suspension with cross-linking when off-road and the twin-range transfer gearbox with an electronic infinitely-variable locking centre differential. As before, a similar locking rear differential is available. The Terrain Response system remains but with two new features - the 'Sand' mode incorporates a new traction control mode to prevent loss of traction when starting off and stopping in soft sand, and the 'Rock Crawl' mode gains a feature that applies gentle brake pressure at low (less than walking pace) speeds to improve grip and stability on slick rock. The system is also 'retuned' to account for the new engines and gearboxes with their different torque characteristics. Other new electronic systems include Trailer Stability Assist which can adjust the throttle and brakes to prevent a dangerously swaying trailer. The 2.7-litre TDV6 engine was available in Europe on the basic 2.7 GS passenger and 2010 Commercial ranges. Unlike the Discovery 3 base model, this was equipped with air suspension and the Terrain Response system. The automatic transmission was an option on this model. The 3.0-litre Gen III model (only with automatic transmission) is also available in the GS trim level. The Discovery 4 also features a redesigned interior (in keeping with the new styles introduced elsewhere in the LR range for 2010). The instrument cluster is updated with redesigned analogue speedometer and tachometer gauges for improved clarity. The analogue temperature/fuel gauges of the previous model and the electronic information display are replaced by a single TFT screen capable of displaying information in a variety of modes and formats. The interior also has a new centre console, which includes redesigned and simplified switches and controls. The Discovery also has a new seat design and a wider range of available interior materials - some previously only seen in Range Rover models. The stated aim of the interior redesign was to lift the vehicle upmarket, with higher-spec models now aimed at the luxury and executive markets. The car gains some electronic systems from the Range Rover lineup, such as the optional 'Surround Camera System' - a series of cameras located in the headlamps, wing mirrors, and rear tailgate handle which can display their images on the centre console screen to improve visibility. Other electronic systems are intended to improve efficiency - the engines feature a 'Smart' alternator that only charges the battery when engine load is low, thus helping to reduce fuel consumption when the engine is working harder. The Discovery 4 was unveiled in the summer of 2009 and went on sale in the United Kingdom on 1 September that year. A Commercial van variant was released in the UK at the same time using the 2.7 engine and offered in GS and XS trim levels. In the Republic of Ireland a Commercial van was offered from 1 January 2010 based on the XE 2.7 manual and HSE 3.0 auto engines. An armoured Discovery with B6 ballistic level of protection was announced in 2010. It offers numerous safety features designed to protect the occupants, including protection from grenades and small arms fire. The vehicle is indistinguishable from the standard LR4. For the 2011 model year announced late 2010, the 2.7-litre engine was dropped and two versions of the 3.0-litre engine were made available - one called the TDV6 and one called the SDV6 (the latter offering 245 bhp). For the 2012 model year, diesel models in Europe came with the new eight-speed auto gearbox with steering wheel paddle controls and a circular dial selector that raises upon startup. The SDV6 engine was uprated to 255 bhp whilst both diesel engines featured reduced emissions for European models. During 2012 the HSE Luxury special edition was announced, featuring enhanced trim levels, and available in Europe and North American markets. In Ireland, 2012 saw the introduction of a new five-seat version of the Discovery 4 classified as an N1 Commercial vehicle, therefore attracting lower VRT rates. There is also a new two-seat Commercial on the same rules. All Irish models came with the lower emissions TDV6 engine. For 2013, models received a style freshening, new badging, new fuel stretching technology, improved audio systems and a new range of driver assistance, comfort and safety features. The 2014 Discovery comes with a standard ZF 8HP transmission, and a one-speed transfer case (replacing the two speed model). 2014 also marks the first use of a 2,995 cc (2.995 L; 182.8 cu in) supercharged six cylinder engine, replacing the previous V6 and V8 offerings. In a January 2011 comparison test by Car and Driver, the Land Rover LR4 came in fourth place out of five cars behind the Audi Q7, BMW X5, and Acura MDX.16 However, it has always won the Auto Express categories of Best Large SUV and Best Towcar since it was launched in 2009. See Also: Defender (Land Rover), Freelander (Land Rover), Range Rover (Land Rover), Series 3 (Land Rover).Category:Land RoverCategory:Land Rover Discovery